Heat shock treatment can improve some seed germination indexes and enzyme activity in primed seeds with gibberellin of mountain rye (Secale montanum) under accelerated aging conditions

Abstract

Seed priming with gibberellin (GA) enhances seed germination performance; but the quality of primed seeds in aging condition often reduces more than non-primed seeds. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect(s) of heat shock treatments on germination characteristics and enzyme activity of primed mountain rye (Secale montanum) seeds with gibberellin under accelerated aging. Heat shock treatments, can substantially decrease the speed of quality reduction of mountain rye (Secale montanum) primed seeds. In primed seeds with gibberellin, which has non-aged, the highest germination percentage (GP) and normal seedling percentage (NSP) was attained from heat shock treatment at 35°C for 3 h, also after 3 days aging, it was attained from heat shock treatment at 35°C for 3 h. After 3 days of aging the highest germination index (GI) was attained from unprimed seeds, but no significant difference with heat shock treatment at 35°C for 3 h. The minimum means time germination (MTG) was in heat shock treatment at 30°C for 3 h in non-aged seeds. After 3 days of aging, heat shock treatment reduce MTG as compared to the primed seeds. Heat shock treatment at 35°C for 3 h increased seed vigor index (SVI) as compared to the unprimed and primed seed in non-aged seeds and after 3 days aging. Seedling length (SL) increases with heat shock treatment at 30°C for 4 h in non-aged seeds as compared to the primed and unprimed seeds, but after 3 days of aging heat shock treatment except at 35°C for 3 h and 40°C for 4 h reduced SL as compared to the primed and unprimed seeds. Also, heat shock treatments increase some antioxidant enzymes [Catalase (CAT), Ascorbat peroxidase (APX)].